New Delhi: Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s much-anticipated showdown with Pakistan’s Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem at the Diamond League Meeting in Silesia, Poland, on August 16 will not take place as the names of the two rivals were missing from the entry list of the event.
The reason for Chopra’s name not featuring in the entry list is not known.
On July 9, the Silesia DL organisers had announced participation of two-time Olympic medallist Chopra and Pakistan’s Paris Games gold winner Arshad Nadeem, with the athletics fans anticipating a mouth-watering showdown between the two South Asian rivals.
Late last month, Nadeem underwent surgery on his calf muscle
in England, raising doubts over his participation and the showdown.
The top-class field in Silesia has familiar names in Julian Weber of Germany, Anderson Peters of Grenada, Julius Yego of Kenya and Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago as well as the likes of Dean Roderick Genki of Japan, Andrian Mardare of Moldova and Mrzygold Cyprian of Poland.